Runtime: 67 minutes
Directed by: Victor Halperin
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron
From: UA
More Human Than Human. Yeah, it was about time to watch the motion picture that gave its name to a popular rock band. Besides, while it doesn't happen every year it seems appropriate to watch a Bela Lugosi film during this time of year. While there's some hammy acting, overall this was a chilling good time. For the record, I watched the movie on Shudder; that is mentioned as from what I understand, the print on Amazon is rather frightful, as in of dire quality.
Because of George A. Romero, there is not much variation when it comes to cinematic or televised versions of zombies for the past 40 plus years; the speed of the undead seems to be the one element where there is room for interpretation. However, that was not the classic depiction of this idea. As demonstrated in this movie, in places like the West Indies (the setting here is Haiti) there is the myth of the dead rising again to be slaves or servants of a master. The plot is that a guy who looks like Liberace desires a young blonde; as he owns a big plantation in the Caribbean, he invites her and her fiance to get married at his digs. Via Lugosi and his menacing stare, he starts an insidious plan to “own” the dame, only of course the end result isn't quite what he desired.
Some creaky moments aside, this was pretty good; Bela's presence is typically a nice asset but I also enjoyed the critical role played by Joseph Cawthorn of a priest who helps the poor sap that was the male newlywed. Even if of course not filmed in the tropics, the West Indies setting provided plenty of flavor as the spine-chilling atmosphere percolating below then right on the surface. Plus, it was an easy watch at only 67 minutes. Whether or not you're as fatigued with the zombie genre as I am, it seems fresh due to it not fitting into what is now considered the ground rules that so many have followed in just the 21st century.
No comments:
Post a Comment